Arvest Winterfest is happy to announce its return to Downtown Tulsa for its 10th year on Nov. 24! Winterfest welcomed more than 150,000 visitors in 2016. The seasonal celebration is open to the public for 45 days this year, giving everyone a chance to enjoy skating beneath Tulsa's skyline. Come lace up your skates and take in what has become one of Tulsa's favorite holiday traditions!

To celebrate this great tradition, we are giving away some great prizes. Now through Dec. 21, all you have to do is comment on the contest post on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ArvestBank*) with a photo of your child with his or her letter to Santa. Multiple winners will be randomly selected throughout the contest, and will be announced on our Facebook page as they are chosen. A Grand Prize winner will be selected on Dec. 21.

Arvest associates and their immediate family members are not eligible to win. Immediate family is defined as spouse, parent, child, sibling, or any other family member living in the associate’s home.

Oct. 27, 2017 – When Bobbie Jo Sparks was near her lowest, four words changed her life.

“Call Angie with BCAP,” Sparks remembers being told.

BCAP* is the acronym for Breast Cancer Assistance Program, a 501(c)(3) charity that assists women affected by breast cancer. Sparks is a breast cancer survivor who in 2012 was diagnosed with cancer, then lost her mother and her job within a span of about two months.

On top of that, Sparks had three children she feared wouldn’t get a Christmas due to all of the hardship. After taking the advice to call BCAP, however, Sparks got a much-needed boost.

BCAP, led by another breast cancer survivor, Angie Walters, paid the Sparks family’s rent and utilities. It even made sure the family had a Christmas dinner and gifts for Sparks’ children.

“Not only did they help my family,” Sparks said, “but they became family.”

Walters is the 24th person to be featured in Arvest Bank’s People Helping People video series. The series is designed to celebrate individuals in the communities Arvest serves who are uniquely making a difference.

Walters’ determination to help breast cancer patients started when she was receiving treatment for her own illness. She heard fellow patients worry about meeting basic financial needs, and eventually formed BCAP to help address that issue.

Now, BCAP provides an average of about $1,500 to several cancer patients each month. The money comes from fundraisers such as the Pink Carpet Survivor Brunch and Fashion Show held earlier this fall.

Sparks, who now holds a fundraiser of her own to help support BCAP, knows firsthand how the organization helps those with seemingly overwhelming financial needs. After participating in the fashion show, Sparks knows about other benefits being associated with the group brings.

“I felt beautiful,” Sparks said. “I felt beautiful in my skin because all of those people allowed me to feel that way. Once I made my round and everybody is applauding and they know my story, it was amazing. ...You felt amazing. You felt like you were 10 feet tall.”

About Arvest Bank

Arvest Bank operates more than 250 bank branches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas through a group of 16 locally managed banks, each with its own board and management team. These banks serve customers in more than 120 communities, with extended weekday banking hours at many locations. Arvest also provides a wide range of banking services including loans, deposits, treasury management, credit cards, mortgage loans and mortgage servicing. Arvest is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC.

Links marked with * go to a third-party site not operated or endorsed by Arvest Bank, an FDIC-insured institution.

PRYOR , Okla. – Arvest Bank is pleased to announce Brandon Tate has been promoted to community bank president.

Tate will serve as Arvest’s community bank president for the bank’s Pryor, Okla., region, which includes Pryor, Tahlequah and Wagoner. He will office at the Arvest branch at 1521 W. Highway 51 in Wagoner.

Having held various roles in his banking career, Tate most recently served Arvest as senior vice president and commercial relationship manager. In his role as community bank president, he will formulate a hierarchy of objectives, standards of performance, strategies, plans, and budgets, among other duties, for the Pryor region.

Tate earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Northeastern State University, with a major in finance and minor in accounting.

Active in numerous civic organizations, Tate is chairman of the board of the Wagoner Lions Club, as well as vice president and board member of the Fort Gibson Lake Association. He’s also an active member of the Wagoner and Coweta chambers of commerce, and the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa.

Do you love Oklahoma scenery as much as we do?! We’re running a contest May 22-29, 2017, so we can enjoy these sites with you! Post a picture on Facebook or/and Instagram of yourself, a family member or a friend visiting an Oklahoma State Park and tag it with #arvestlovesokparks! If you’ve already got a picture at an Oklahoma State Park posted to Facebook or Instagram, then just add #arvestlovesokparks to enter it for a prize! Enter as many pictures as you like!

One winner on Facebook and one winner on Instagram will each win a made in Oklahoma gift basket! To be eligible to win, Facebook and Instagram posts need to be public when winners are selected on May 30, 2017. Entrants are only eligible to win one of the two prizes.

We’re proud of the beautiful sites to see in Oklahoma which is why we recently released six debit card designs featuring images from throughout the state including: Beavers Bend, Boiling Springs, Lake Murray, Osage Hills, Robbers Cave and Roman Nose. The cards are available to new and current Arvest Bank customers at any bank location across Oklahoma, as well as the communities the bank serves in Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. View these new card designs on our website.

Arvest associates and their immediate family members are not eligible to win. Immediate family is defined as any spouse, parent, child or sibling, along with any other family member living in the Arvest associate’s home.

We're proud to be the presenting sponsor of this shred event in Tulsa, Okla.

TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa Crime Stoppers will host the first annual Shred-To-Protect event on Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event aims to reduce financial fraud in Tulsa by safely destroying paperwork that leaves victims vulnerable to scams and identity theft. The event is made possible by presenting sponsor Arvest and through a partnership with event sponsor Green Country Shredding and Recycling, as well as, event host and sponsor Promenade Mall. Additional sponsors include QuikTrip and Reasor’s.

Participants may drive in to the Promenade Mall Southwest parking lot (4107 S. Yale Avenue) between the former Macy’s and next to McDonalds. Items will be gathered by volunteers from Arvest Bank, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department, Tulsa Police Department, and Tulsa Crime Stoppers to be shredded on-site.

Shred-To-Protect is not only a resource for the Tulsa community but also a fundraiser for Tulsa Crime Stoppers. Donations for the Tulsa Crime Stoppers program will be accepted at the site. The non-profit program supports local law enforcement agencies by offering anonymous cash rewards to individuals who can help solve felony crimes, including crimes of financial fraud and identity theft. Residents and businesses will be invited to unload up to two boxes or three paper bags of documents from their vehicle that will be shredded on-site with deputies and officers present. Those unable to donate are still encouraged to take advantage of this free service. Participants will also receive coupons for area businesses.

To anonymously report suspects involved in committing financial crime, tipsters may call Tulsa Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS (2677), log on to www.tulsacrimestoppers.org*, or submit a tip through the free Tulsa Tips app available in the iTunes Apple or Google Play stores. For more information about Shred-To-Protect event or to find out about sponsorship opportunities visit www.tulsacrimestoppers.org/event/shred-to-protect*.

Links marked with * go to a third-party site not operated or endorsed by Arvest Bank, an FDIC-insured institution.

Investment products and services are provided by Arvest Investments, Inc., doing business as Arvest Asset Management, member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC registered investment adviser and a subsidiary of Arvest Bank. Trust services are provided by Arvest Bank. Insurance products are made available through Arvest Insurance, Inc., which is registered as an insurance agency. Insurance products are marketed through Arvest Insurance, Inc., but are underwritten by insurance companies.
Securities and Insurance Products: Not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, May Lose Value, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by a Bank or any Bank Affiliate.